David Caravag

Description:

Appears to have a Symbol of Death interwoven with a Glyph of Warding tattooed into the skin of his back.

Bio:

David Caravag was born on the 15th of Dawnrise, 3941, to serfs in Arkadjosk, a small village located in the Northwoods of Dvirhim. Taxation during the Dark War in the years immediately following his birth caused the village to founder, and in 3947 his parents—no longer able to feed him—gave him away to the famous wandering elven bard and socioeconomic theorist Darysiel Markhonwë, who was passing through the area and had noted his budding skill with the flute. Under Markhonwë’s tutelage, Caravag studied the bardic skills of music, spellcraft, literature, architecture, and a few traditional styles of armed and unarmed combat until she ended his apprenticeship in 3969. Caravag continued educating himself outside of the conventional academic sphere, however; in particular he noted the rise of ‘jazz’, a strange and exciting new genre of music growing in popularity in the nations of Aglondale and Lusitola, and of ‘movies’, recorded illusions capable of telling stories the length of a stage play.

Caravag attempted to put these skills to use as a minor figure in the Dvirhimmish Civil War of 3977, but was unable to secure sufficient power and position within the rebel organization before its devastating collapse. He managed to escape execution and evade authorities during the paranoia that followed, keeping a low profile while planning and gathering new loyal allies, until he re-emerged in 3985.

For several months Caravag’s revolutionary efforts consisted merely of extravagant public appearances, putting on short but elaborate shows mocking the aristocracy of Dvirhim and glorifying the failed revolution of 3977, only to make a daring escape as soon as authorities were summoned. Occasionally he would organize raids on Imperial granaries to feed starving villages. But at midnight on Novanna 1st of 3986, he appeared before the great crowd of New Year’s revellers in Medyova Square and displayed the severed heads of the prominent Archmagi and Lords of Parliament Vitaly Djornobyl, Anatoly Carenska, and Albert Biryavich (notorious for their hand in the dissolution of the vast majority of the Mountain’s Guard), vowing that any Imperial official who ever defiled such a sacred institution of the common folk ever again would meet with the same fate.

In years since, despite the best efforts of the Empire, Caravag has repeatedly penetrated Imperial security measures with embarrassing impunity through a clever mix of guerilla tactics and spellcraft which, prior to Caravag’s rise, were unheard of amongst the working classes. This unprecedented ability to skirt authority, combined with illicitly distributed propaganda in multiple mediums, has led Caravag to gain the unwavering support of hundreds of thousands; unlike his predecessor rebels, Caravag has also made friendly overtures to dozens of illegal druid circles, promising that he will use his power and influence to keep them safe and make an effort to preserve the natural world that the Industrial Revolution threatens.

As a human, Caravag has no small measure of pride for his Tynan heritage, and incorporates a great deal of the symbolism of the Tynan Emperor Llewlius I’s fascist philosophy and mysticism into his propaganda aimed at human audiences, and into the plan for the Markhonwëist social order that he espouses. He also came to admire the inclusive policies of the Tynan Empress Justiniana, using armies built of many races disciplined to act as a cooperative unit, stagger their weaknesses, and make full use of their strengths; to this end he has made allies among the many underprivileged races of Dvirhim.

Though charming, gregarious, and almost perpetually in a good mood, Caravag is also vulgar, ruthless, violent, deceitful, and dangerously capricious, as those who work closely with him all discover sooner or later. He is not above using manipulation—both mundane and magical—to achieve his goals, and he is fond of toying with the psychology of unsuspecting minions to test their fear of him, their love of him, or their obedience to him under unusual circumstances. Though he often appears to lack impulse control, taking foolish gambles without sufficient planning for failure, he is remarkably adept at improvisation and always seems able to quickly turn his failures into successes. He has a passionate sense of showmanship in all things and a vitriolic disdain for most aristocratic social conventions and the people who follow them.

You are his favorite person in the world, he always has your best interests at heart, and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is just jealous.